TExT-TUBE TV Pilot Production – Episode Zero

This production is a student-led pilot produced by 3rd year students at the University of Queensland’s School of Journalism and Communication. This pilot episode, Episode Zero, uses the G20 held late 2014 as the focal point. This is not a complete pilot and in fact was produced on a budget of a mere $90. We are currently considering producing a brand new pilot specifically to promote the TExT-TUBE TV concept, which we feel is a project worth developing for transformative futures.

The concept for this experiential futures-oriented program – TExT-TUBE TV – emerged from a question: What if: Futurists, visionaries and speculative thinkers were to make their own television show, what would it be like, what would it do, how would it be different from all other TV shows supposedly dedicated to the ‘future’?

TExT-TUBE TV emerged from the Futures research work of David L Wright who whilst working as an Associate Professor in Japan from 2004-2012 created his own courses which applied contemporary Futures Studies concepts, tools, theories and methods to media production.

TExT-TUBE TV is envisaged as a weekly 30-minute program featuring four segments plus a concluding ‘wrap’. The four segments are:

SEGMENT 1: Image of the Future, Simulation & Futurist Analysis

SEGMENT 2: Citizen Futurists / User-Generated Futuring

SEGMENT 3: The Futurists Next Door.

SEGMENT 4: Open Futures.

It will engage the viewer and future aficionado with unique POVs and analyses guided by practicing Futurists familiar with the tools and methods of the futures trade.

Academic futures thinkers are in the business of analyzing, promoting, communicating and implementing social transformation. It doesn’t seem plausible or realistic to bring about social transformation in the age we live in without a highly strategic media and communication/s approach.

Some commentators have suggested that to do its work most effectively, this program should not go to television at all. Rather, the best way is to use the Internet. Although the TExT-TUBE TV producers take note of this line of thought, we do not entirely agree with this assessment. In fact, we feel that conventional TV still has a broad and deep social influence and that our program would bring much benefit from this media.

NOTE: This project is still in the concept stage and the Pilot introduced here only partly demonstrates the proof-of-concept. For expressions of interest to co-develop this TV series, contact us.